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LOCK HAVEN — In truly historic fashion, the Lock Haven University women's wrestling team will send five wrestlers to the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship national championship after Sunday’s NCWWC Northeast Regional tournament hosted by Gannon University.
To qualify for the national tournament, wrestlers had to finish amongst the top-five in each weight class.
Jessica Johnson finished the day with a second-place finish but her road to the championship bout was equally as impressive. Johnson followed her opening win by decision with a pin over Delaware Valley's Gorgeous Lee in just 46 seconds. In the semi-finals, Johnson added a tech-fall over Gannon's Gabby Malinowski to advance to the first-place bout.
At 136, Madison Matta earned the impressive third-place finish. Her only loss of the day came by way of nationally-ranked No. 1 Zoe Nowicki. Matta finished the day with two pins, one tech-fall and a decision. She earned the third-place finish after a tough fought win by decision in her final bout of the day.
Lily Sherer, Carly Gross and Madison Packer, a Central Mountain graduate, all earned fifth-place finishes at today's tournament to punch their tickets to the national tournament.
Sherer started the day with a pin, before falling to New Jersey City's Naomi Henry. Her defeat in that bout set up a long run back to the fifth place bout and Sherer went on the 3-1 run to earn the fifth place finish. On the day, Sherer notched two tech falls and two pins.
In a similar style, Gross secured her fifth place finish. Gross started the day with tech-fall victory before falling to the consolation bracket. She then added a pin in the fifth-place bout to earn the all-important finish.
Packer, a Lock Haven native, rebounded after an early fall find herself in the fifth place bout. She rolled to 12-2 tech-fall over East Stroudsburg's Janieliz Cotto to secure her finish.
Lock Haven finished seventh in team scoring at the tournament.
The Bald Eagle's will travel to the NCWWC national championships hosted by Adrian College on Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5. Coach Ronnie Perry and the Lock Haven contingent will make their long-awaited national debut after a historic performance in today's regional championships.